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Multiple packaging manufacturers have announced closures and layoffs since late January that are expected to affect more than 1,700 employees in the coming weeks and months.
These are the workforce changes Packaging Dive has tracked:
- Ardagh Glass is closing a plant in the Chicago suburb of Dolton, Illinois. Layoffs for the 316 employees are slated to begin May 1, per a Feb. 4 notice to the state. Market conditions contributed to the decision to close this location, the company said in an emailed statement.
- Clearwater Paper executives said on their Feb. 13 earnings call that the company cut 200 salaried and hourly positions in January to shrink its workforce by 10%. The move supports the company’s efforts to cut costs by $30 million to $40 million in 2025.
- International Paper announced Feb. 13 that it will close four facilities, affecting a total of 674 employees. Operations will cease by the end of April at all four facilities: the Red River containerboard mill in Campti, Louisiana; a box plant in Hazleton, Pennsylvania; a sheet feeder facility in St. Louis; and a recycling plant in Phoenix.
- Pactiv Evergreen will permanently close a food and beverage packaging production site in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Layoffs will affect 153 employees and are scheduled to occur from April 1 through June 13. Last year, the company announced cost-cutting measures including layoffs and spending curtailment.
- Poly-Pak Industries Group filed a notice Jan. 29 with the state of New York flagging the upcoming closure of a plastic bag manufacturing facility in Melville. It notes that 146 of the 177 workers at the site would be affected, and the closure will occur May 1. The notice indicates the company’s lease expired. Poly-Pak did not respond to a request for comment.
- Pregis filed a notice on Jan. 29 with the state of California that it would close a bubble cushion and mailer plant in Pomona, affecting 45 employees effective March 31. The workers will have the opportunity to transfer to another location, according to Plastics News.
- Prent filed a notice in Arizona on Feb. 12 regarding a facility in Flagstaff where 50 workers will be impacted. Plastics News reported that the Wisconsin-based manufacturer of custom thermoformed packaging will operate the plant for another 12 months.
- Smurfit Westrock will close a container plant in Bridgeview, Illinois, as the result of an ongoing footprint optimization, a spokesperson confirmed via email. This will result in the loss of 88 jobs, with first layoffs expected March 28, according to a notice to the state. Employees will receive outplacement assistance and can also apply for open positions at the company. Production will be moved to other company facilities within the Great Lakes region.
- TC Transcontinental filed a WARN notice in Kansas on Feb. 26 indicating that 45 employees will be laid off at a packaging plant in Lenexa. According to a company spokesperson, the facility is not closing; some of those employees have already been laid off and layoffs will take a few months to complete. The facility is part of the company’s dairy, protein and pet food segment.
Other updates
- Evergreen Recycling, which operates a PET bottle recycling plant in California, plans to close the sort and wash department at its facility in Riverside and lay off 57 employees. Layoffs could begin March 24, according to a filing with the state.
- Stora Enso completed statutory negotiations with employee representatives regarding potential temporary layoffs for employees in the packaging materials division in Finland, EUWID Pulp and Paper reported on Feb. 18. The agreement covers about 2,400 people at five mills, and potential layoffs could come in waves. While there are no imminent plans to launch these temporary layoffs, the company reportedly took this precautionary measure to mitigate the effects of weak demand.
